Oh, and you should know that this a massive picture overload... And the stories aren't in order.
However, I do think that my area is still pretty. It is fall, so the leaves are changing. I never knew that leaves could turn into such bright colors. It is positively beautiful! The Pyrenees Mountains are covered in snow now, which makes the mountains look even prettier. Even though the lake is too gross to swim in, it still looks pretty. Sometimes Piha and I will walk down to the lake, but the hike back up is steep and tiring, so we don't go too often.
That last picture is of an evil plant. Nettles. Well that is what ortie translates to in the British English. Which reminds me. Looking up words isn't always helpful because the British English word is totally different than the American English word. Back to the nettles... One day, I went with Piha and Sophie's mom to pick up left over corn in the corn fields (the corn was for the rabbits, not us). When we were done searching for extra corn, we halfway slid down a small hill that, of course, was spotted with nettles. I don't think I have ever seen nettles before, and obviously Sophie's mom has, because I put my hands down on them. Holy crap it stung! I was scared it was poisonous and I was going to die in France. The stinging went away pretty fast, but then the areas that had contact started to tingle and go numb kind of like laying on your arm until it falls asleep. And my skin turned red with little white dots that looked like blisters. Sophie's mom just kept laughing and saying, "Ahh, oui! Ça pique!" Translation, yes, it stings. At least I knew I wasn't going to die...
And now we move onto my trip to Biarritz. Biarritz is famous for surfing. The beaches, and the water, are absolutely stunning! I was hoping for sunshine, but Mr. Sun never showed up. However, I still enjoyed my time in Biarritz.
I only love this picture because it reminds me of a picture with Winnie the Pooh... And yes, I realize that I am a little old for Pooh Bear.
I can't remember if I have mentioned that my bathroom is finished! At first, there was only a sink, so if nature called during the night, I had to walk to the main house and sneak around quietly inside until I found the bathroom. I was always afraid I would wake someone up. I admit that I seriously considered going outside. Hey, I am just trying to be honest.
For two weeks, my flat was under construction. Well, my future bathroom was. Now, I have a toilet, shower, and a sink. So luxurious! That tiny five-sided figure to the left is my shower. My bathroom is teensy weensy, but I love it. I will post the 'after' images on my next post.
And this is Minette. The cat. When my bathroom was under construction, the workers left the doors open. So of course Minette would sneak into my flat and have a little snooze in my bed. The little booger. I did love her company though. She kept me warm, and she was something I could cuddle with. That is the good thing about cats, they keep themselves pretty clean and are calm. Dogs can be so filthy and spazzy. I'm still a dog person though. Unfortunately, I discovered that Minette had tapeworm... Bleh. It's gone now, but I am still grossed out. Minette hasn't been allowed in my flat since. I miss my cuddle buddy.
Piha and I take walks everyday. Twice a day. Well, except if the weather is bad. But lately it has been sunny. I have already worn out one pair of jeans. They were a few years old, but they were so comfortable! They were more high waisted than other jeans, so I never had to worry about plumber's crack. I wore them on Thanksgiving because I could stuff myself silly and still be comfortable without having to unbutton my pants. And now, thanks to what I not so fondly call 'chub rub' (from chubby thighs rubbing together), there is a hole in the inner thigh area. R.I.P. Annalise's most comfortable pair of jeans. You will be missed.
Our town has plenty of dogs. Pretty much every household owns at least one dog. Usually, there are multiple. And almost all of the dogs look mangy. These two dogs are our walking buddies. They are allowed to roam free, and are very very dirty. I nicknamed them Shaggy and Scrappy. They like to bark and boss other dogs around, and chase cars. Scrappy, the little one, loves chasing cows too. It is so mean, but it is hilarious. He is a little dog, but he frightens huge cows. I don't understand why the cow doesn't just charge, but they just bow their head and back away. Scrappy keeps me entertained. But I hate when Shaggy and Scrappy decided to fight other dogs. It scares me, and it scares Piha.
So there are a few pictures of Piha, and one of Sarah. As you can see, Piha loves Silly Band bracelets. She spends 10 minutes everyday putting them on one by one. If you try to take them off, she freaks out. The only time to get them off is when she sleeps. She also loves putting on hats. She will put it on, take it off, put it on, and so on.
Lately, I have been missing Arizonan sunsets. I love the purples, and pinks, and oranges. Sunsets here are rarely colorful, but there were a few days with sunsets! The first one was just yellow, but I got so excited when I saw it! And then as the week went on, the sunsets got more colorful. I still miss Arizona. Oh, and I took a picture of the moon.
Piha absolutely LOVES Hello Kitty. You can see her Kitty phone, Kitty backpack, Kitty toothbrush. And she will soon have a Kitty bedroom. Piha also loves Teletubbies. I have introduced her to Baby Einstein, but she still prefers Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Lala, and Po. She does this thing, we call it faire du ventre, when she goes on her toes and sticks out her belly. If you have ever watched Teletubbies, they do the same thing when they are getting ready to watch TV on their bellies.
I have never seen birds migrate before. All the birds here are either starting to migrate, or getting ready to. I would have thought it was beautiful the first time, but since they were flying right over my head, I was only worried about them pooping on me.
And this final picture is of my friend, Samuel the Salamander. He scared me half to death the first night I saw him. He is a little longer than my own hand. I am pretty sure he is poisonous. And he keeps nasty critters like frogs and bugs out of my house. I think he is pretty cool.
Now I am caught up. Yay! In honor of Thanksgiving, which I haven't celebrated, I would like to share what I am thankful for. I am extremely thankful for my family and friends. Without your love and support, I would never have come to France. And without your love and support, I would have already left France. I am thankful for how much I have been given in my life. It took me a while to understand how awesome it is to: be able to get an education, have a comfortable home, have what I need, etc. But ever since I have discovered how fortunate I am, I will forever be grateful. I am thankful for my beliefs in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I am thankful for God! He blesses my life in so many ways. He has given me so much. And although I am far from perfect, He loves me no matter what. I am thankful for family traditions. No matter how silly or embarrassing they can be, participating in them gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling. I hope everyone is enjoying Turkey Day for me. I sure will miss stuffing, and pie.
